Anthony Levine, Santa Cruz County Stories: Eastside shoe collector says he's in it for the kicks

SANTA CRUZ -- Ask Anthony Levine about any significant event in his life over the past four years, and he'll tell you the shoes he was wearing.

The day he proposed to his wife? Nike SB Dunk Wallenberg sneakers.

Levine loves shoes. He loves them so much, in fact, that he has amassed a collection that at one point nearly topped 400 pairs. Today, the Eastside resident owns more than 300 pairs of Nikes, about 70 of which are up for sale to fellow shoe collectors.

"For collectors, actually purchasing and owning an item makes you happy," he said.

Levine grew up in Oakland, the only child his mother, who worked various jobs, and father, an electrician and plumber, had together. He collected comic books and cards as a child. It was a love of mythology that drew him to comic books, and, later on, shoes, he said. Each pair of shoes is created by a person who is influenced by certain forces, which exist for various reasons, and so on, he said. Levine loves shoes, but more than that, he loves the stories behind them.

A studious child, Levine graduated from high school in 1998 and moved to Santa Cruz shortly thereafter. He attended Crown College at UC Santa Cruz, graduating in 2003 with a degree in business management. He currently works in sales and digital services at the Santa Cruz Sentinel and designs websites on the side. When he's not buying, selling or tending to his shoes, Levine can be found making music, rapping in his home studio, which also serves as a massive shoe closet. The rubber souls of the shoes actually create a pretty good sound barrier, he said.

Levine can also be found putting his shoes to use. He loves to take regular walks and logs up to 12 miles on a weekend day. This is when he picks out a fresh pair of shoes to break in.

"My weekends are special for that," he said.

Walking keeps him healthy, he said, and is a major reason he has his shoe collection today.

Levine once weighed about 275 pounds. One day he decided to take control of his weight and began walking around downtown. Soon he was down more than 100 pounds and in need of a new wardrobe. He found himself reaching for a standard pair of sneakers when a bright pair caught his eye.

"I just decided to take a chance and buy this colorful pair," he said, adding that the positive feedback he received piqued his interest in shoes.

Taking that chance has lead to a collection that brings him great joy, and allows him to wear a different pair of shoes nearly every single day.

"I think that everyone's a little crazy, if they're interesting at all," he said.

getting to know

Anthony Levine

Birthday: April 13, 1980

Birthplace: Oakland

Family: Wife Colleen, whom he married in November 2010

Rap name: Tony Diamond

Website for his shoe collection: Visit www.kickitfresh.com and find a daily blog detailing the shoes Levine is wearing that day. The site also provides links to pictures of his collections.

Fifteen minutes of fame: Rather than shoot a straight collector's video, Levine recently decided to change things up. He put his rap skills, and sense of humor, to use, and made a music video. 'I was like, "Why don't I just make a beat and a really, really dumb song."' So he just repeated the lyrics, 'Look at my Lebrons, look at my Lebrons' into the camera. 'It just so turns out it's the most popular thing I've done to this day,' noting the YouTube video has received more than 5,000 hits.

When it rains: Levine dreads bad weather, but if he must go out in it, he tries to wear shoes made of smooth, dark leather. He does have designated 'beaters,' he said, but he likes to stay abreast of the outdoor conditions. 'I really try to make use of my Sentinel subscription, the weather page."